BALTIMORE — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she doesn’t fear Democrats will face primary challenges similar to what Republican incumbents faced with the Tea Party because Democrats don’t have “party orthodoxy.”
Pelosi alleged Republicans are not open to listening to ideas from their members who differ from the party’s overall message — accusing Republicans of using financial resources to oust lawmakers with opposing views.
“We don’t have a party orthodoxy — they are ideological; that is one of the big differences they are so ideological and that’s a well-spring of money, this anti-governance, anti-science ideology,” she told reporters at the Democratic policy retreat Thursday. “It’s only about ideas (the Democratic party), you know what their organized principle is — Money. Money money, money, you have an idea, how would you like to be primaried — that’s not how we operate.”
While Democrats have been criticized for lacking organization in their political messaging, they aim to respect each others’ opinions and unify around a “set of ideals,” Pelosi said.
“So I think one of the big differences between us, when people say ‘Oh, the Republicans are so organized, they’re so on message, why can’t you be like them,’ they have a, there’s a reason for that and that’s ideological anti-governance, so they’re against it all, and there’s money associated with it,” she continued. “That we (Republicans) can visit you in the primary should you want to depart from this or be with you in the general if you should you go along with the program.”
In spite of her broad criticism of the Republican Party in general, the California Democrat still acknowledges President Donald Trump was more successful in connecting with the frustrations of the American people during the course of the campaign.
“The problem is that we had in the last election is that there wasn’t that clarity of the message coming through,” she said. “So they could represent that they were the party of the American people — I mean that is so ridiculous.”
Trump’s presidency could make it easier for Pelosi’s Democratic Party to offer a contrast and better convey their ideas to voters in coming years.
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